Bangladesh has recorded 227 child deaths since March in one of its worst outbreaks of measles in decades, with the number of suspected cases reaching nearly 35,000, government data showed on Wednesday.
One of the hardest hit areas is Kurukpata in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, home to Indigenous communities, which border war-torn Myanmar. Children in these rural areas are often left out of vaccination coverage, and some families avoid vaccination programmes due to fear. “The most affected area of Chittagong Hill tracts is Kurukpata, one of the remotest parts of Bangladesh,” district health chief Sheikh Fazle Rabbi told AFP, saying more than 80 children had been treated for measles. Local Kurukpata council head Kratpung Mro said the number of cases was unusually high.
“Communication from Kurukpata is difficult,” he said. “People, mostly farmers, are among the poorest and cannot afford even boat or motorcycle fares to reach the hospital.” Kratpung Mro said the government should “launch awareness programmes and bring Indigenous communities under vaccination coverage”.